Batman followed Merkel deep into the mine, the two of them found a relatively quiet corner, where a campfire was lit, with two wooden stumps serving as chairs.
Batman and Merkel sat facing each other, Merkel moved the grill next to them, skewered two mushrooms onto the wooden stick in the middle, and lit the campfire, grilling the mushrooms as he spoke:
"Here, I get hungry much more slowly than in the real world. When I'm busy, I don't even have the time to eat. In the past three days, I've only eaten twice. Try this. It's much better than the rotten vegetable leaves offered by the mine."
Batman took the mushroom skewer handed over by Merkel. Having just received treatment from the Elder So Snake Demon, he didn't feel hungry. However, the aroma of the mushrooms awakened the instinct to eat. He took a bite of the juicy mushrooms and deeply breathed out, enjoying the taste that filled his nose.
Merkel then brought two cups, poured a small packet of powder into them, and filled the cup with water from a flask. The moment the water was poured, a "sizzling" sound was made, and bubbles rose in the cup.
He handed a cup to Batman, then said, "This is water mixed with a small amount of flame powder. The flame powder provides the temperature for the water, and also has a similar effect to alcohol. I think it's good, would you like to give it a try?"
Batman squinted at the water in the cup, the bubbles looked similar to beer, and it had a sour fermented aroma. After taking a small sip, it tasted more like vodka with ample bubbles than beer.
He was not interested in alcohol, so he put the cup aside, Merkel however took a sip, wiped his mouth, and excitedly said: "This reminds me of the first time I went to Moscow. I had no idea then that vodka would be so potent, much stronger than the liqueur I had in England!"
With a sigh, Merkel mused, "Perhaps, just like their people, there's a natural wildness to them not wanting to be controlled."
"Are you from the Soviet Union?" As Batman took another bite from the mushroom skewer, he asked. After his experience of travelling through the slums, he had gotten used to such surroundings. In fact, this brief period of quiet time felt immensely precious to him, making him feel somewhat relaxed.
"I'm a thorough Englishman. During my school years, I became acquainted with Marxism. When I first read that book, I was deeply attracted by the theories within. I felt that perhaps within these theories, I could find answers to all the issues."
"But the more I read, the more confused I became." Merkel took another sip of the drink, the spicy taste making him cough a couple of times before saying, "Initially, I understood everything written there. But the more I read, the more I realized that I understood nothing."
"So, I started seeking guidance. But as you know, England is quite conservative. You can't discuss how God as an artistic image was created before a group of believers..."
"Coincidentally, I got involved in a spy case, met some people from Moscow, chatted with them all night, they thought I had potential and was capable, so they recommended me to the Butler School."
"There, I found many like-minded friends. Every night we would discuss the philosophies from various books, talked about enlightenment to naturalism, how Macbeth perished, and how Pavel Kurchagin and Daja fell in love…"
Batman looked at Merkel across from him. When speaking these words, his eyes sparkled with a captivating light.
But for some reason, Batman couldn't relate to what he was saying. He realized he simply couldn't empathize with others' happiness.
Although his rational mind told him that considering Merkel's upbringing and experiences, that must have been the happiest time of his life. And now, as their companion and comrade, he should be empathetic and happy for him in such a recount.
But Batman just couldn't feel it. Then, listening, he heard Merkel shift the topic to his rigorous training years.
"Back then, the teachers were supposed to teach us many self-defense skills, requiring us to be tough, swift, and cool-headed. I did well in the first two aspects. The teachers often said that I had good fighting abilities, the only problem was that I wasn't always calm."
With a pout, Merkel expressed regret: "This is exactly why I wasn't selected for the first round, but only for the fifth round as an operative. Many times, I would act rashly and, fatally, my cultural scores weren't so good…"
"If, as you say, your Butler School trains operatives—those who work on intelligence, infiltration, and assassination. Then what's your culture subject about?" Batman inquired.
"Of course, it's for raising awareness," said Merkel earnestly, "we must fully learn the theoretical knowledge left by our predecessors."
Looking at Batman, Merkel explained, "My teacher often told me, never to consider yourself as a gun, don't simply shoot wherever you're directed to."
Batman furrowed his brows, this was completely unlike the operative training system he knew. One could even claim it was the exact opposite. In the training methods for assassins and operatives that he was familiar with, obedience was crucial.
"I know, you must be surprised, wondering how an organization could demand its operatives to not just obey commands but also think independently. However, I must first understand what I am working for, in order to determine my abilities and capabilities."
"I did not join this war driven by benefits, fame, and status, but by the ideal of justice and light."
"I did not participate in this war for myself, but for the entire human race."
"I did not take part in this war for the present, but for the future."
"We must comprehend through learning, that I joined this great cause because of my ideals, struggling for the liberation of all mankind in the future. This allows me to never hesitate, waver, or betray, no matter the urgency or the severity of the situation."
"Thousands and thousands of my predecessors who walked before me could only achieve such great achievements because they, like me, held such ideals in their hearts."
In Batman's eyes, the bonfire burned more and more vigorously. The intense red at the base of the flame scorched his eyes, making him feel somewhat cold, but also causing his blood vessels to swell.
Amid the flickering flames, he again saw countless people walking by, the train hurtling across the snowfield, the horn slicing through the chilly silence of the streets, countless people emerging from the glow of the fire, only to disappear into the wisps of smoke in the distance.
Alfred never cared to discuss such matters directly with Batman, nor had Shiller ever talked to him about ideals. Therefore, this was the first time Batman had been face to face with a real idealist, a Bolshevik, a warrior who still walked this path.
The encounter gave him a jolt, but he did not know yet what the emotion welling up in his heart and blood was.
Batman is a mental patient. This is not a derogatory description; the trauma he suffered in his childhood is real.
At a time when one's personality is not yet fully stable, any damage can divert a person's psyche towards psychological conditions described in pathology.
This can lead to a lot of problems in subsequent personality development, for instance, even if he doesn't suffer from autism, the defects brought about by his syndrome make it hard for him to empathize normally.
And sometimes, like now, he is at a loss about how to handle sudden emotional shifts.
Batman evaded, like an escape, by turning his head to one side, trying hard to calm his emotions. However, Merkel seemed to have seen through the purpose of his visit. He said, "I think you may be having some problems leading your team, so you came to ask for my advice."
"This is quite normal. The gap between the top and bottom layers in Hell is too large. The intelligence of those miniature demons is about equal to that of a six or seven-year-old human child. Some demons are quite intelligent, but their thoughts are chaotic, and some are too irritable..."
"Leading such a team is difficult. Indeed, I learned some rhetorical techniques at the Butler School. Previously, Mr. Shiller gave me some advice. However, Mr. Wayne, a team cannot be well managed solely through these techniques."
Merkel seriously looked into Batman's eyes and said, "First you must have an ideal, and then you can infect others with that ideal. You must firmly choose a path before you can guide your comrades onto it."
"If you want people to get motivated and fight for themselves, you have to know what you are fighting for."
"The fact is, if you can't find a way to answer all your own questions, you won't be able to answer the questions of the people you want to liberate."
Batman fell into contemplation at Merkel's words. Now he really had to consider a question: why was he fighting in the first place?
Before, his answer would have simply been: to save Gotham.
However, after Merkel's speech, the words seemed to be stuck in his throat for some reason.
Could he tell these demons that he intended to save a terribly rotten city, and that they should therefore make an effort to think, own themselves, and fight for themselves?
The logic does not add up.
He wouldn't even be capable of telling Gotham's lower-class citizens that he wants to save Gotham, so they should strive to make it on their own, to save themselves.
He can't make the effort to instill in Gotham's citizens the need to save themselves with the ideal of rescuing Gotham of his own.
If this logic were to be expressed in a simple manner, it would be like saying, "Because it's an apple, it's an apple."
To make a more vivid analogy, Merkel has a building so he points to the building and tells everyone else, "you need to learn how to lay this brick, and then everyone can have a building."
But Batman holds a brick and tells others, "you need to learn how to lay this brick, and then this brick can be laid."
Sometimes, you need to kill a mosquito with a bazooka. The reason why ideals are called ideals is that they should be lofty and great enough to awaken recognition in others to strive for them all their lives.
Saving Gotham, in reality, is very difficult and may even prove to be more challenging than all the work that Merkel has accomplished in his lifetime. While it can be a goal, it cannot be an ideal.
Saving Gotham might serve as Batman's mission, but in order to accomplish this mission, he needs a greater ideal, and a theoretical philosophy that springs forth from it.
Saving Gotham does not allow for the possibility of a theoretical philosophy developing from an ideal. On the path to saving Gotham, Batman could only attain technological theoretical advances, but not a self-consistent, appealing, and universally applicable thought system.
However, thought is exactly the sharpest blade required to save someone or something, to push progress, and to alter a pattern or structure.